1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet sorting device for use with copying machines, or simple printing machines, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In reproducing a plurality of sets of copies from a document containing a number of pages by the use of an electrophotographic copying machine, or a simple printing machine, etc. the reproduced copies of the document must be placed one over another in the order of page numbers for each set. This so-called collation requires much labor and time, and errors often result from the collative work.
In ordinary reproducing or printing machines, as a desired number of copies of a page are continuously reproduced, and subsequently pages are also reproduced repeatedly, in this manner, there inevitably occurs a condition wherein the reproduced copies of the same pages are stacked page-wise. This gives rise to necessity for rearranging the reproduced copies in the order of the page numbers to form a required numbers of sets of reproduced documents, and the placing of these sets separately on a shelf or other appropriate means so that they may be taken out individually set by set. This is the so-called collation work.
To meet such requirements, there has heretofore been proposed a device which automatically sorts the documents immediately following the copying or printing operation, although such type of sheet sorting device has not yet been designed in a very compact and simple unit.